In this paper I argue that language policies for education have effects on pupils' educational possibilities. With the case of the Karagwe district in Tanzania the research suggests that the policy of "Swahili only" in primary school education favours the small minority of the children that live in a context where Swahili is used. This…

This paper looks at the degree and way in which lesser-used languages are used as expressions of identity, focusing specifically on two of Europe's lesser-used languages. The first is Irish, spoken in the Republic of Ireland and the second is Galician, spoken in the Autonomous Community of Galicia in the North-western part of Spain. The paper…

Language planning for the Irish language in the Republic of Ireland has featured prominently in international language policy and planning literature over the years. Researchers in the field may not be up to date, however, with recent developments in the area of Irish language planning and their impact on the language ecology. This monograph…

This paper provides an example of micro-planning which involves community, government and non-government organisations both in the context of immigrants' source and host countries. The community in question is the Hungarian diaspora in Australia. The language planning activities are aimed at maintaining an immigrant heritage language and identity.…

The Greek community in Australia attempts, with reasonable success, to maintain Greek language proficiency in succeeding generations, but attitudinal barriers within the community may be impeding the process. A study of the stakeholders (primary and secondary staff, parents, students and management) of one Greek independent school in Melbourne…

This paper reports on a study which investigated the language-related experiences of Afrikaans-speaking South African immigrants living in New Zealand. In-depth narrative interviews with 14 parents of children aged 18 and under were conducted in various geographical locations across New Zealand. The focus was on their perceptions of their…

This paper examines teachers' attitudes towards their students' heritage language maintenance and their engagement in classroom practices that may or may not affirm the value of maintaining and developing heritage languages among students. Through surveys and interviews with K-12 teachers in California public schools, the data show that the…

Language decline in many immigrant and ethnic communities is always a persistent problem in America. To prevent Native tribal languages from becoming obliterated, several organizations have been founded to document and teach Indigenous languages, a number of tribes have crafted ambitious language policies, and Congress approved the Native American…

Papers on the situation of linguistic minorities in Western Europe and Canada include: "Linguistic Minorities: West European and Canadian Perspectives" (Colin H. Williams); "Geographical Aspects of Minority Language Situations in Italy" (Paul White); "Defining the Gaeltacht: Dilemmas in Irish Language Planning" (Reg…

This booklet examines issues of multilingualism and cultural pluralism in French-speaking Switzerland, particularly as they relate to children of refugees and undocumented aliens. Chapter 1 focuses on past and current migratory waves, examining causes of Swiss emigration during the 19th century and more recent waves of immigration into…

This collection of seven papers addresses language policy in Europe, focusing on the role of national and supranational language policy on European integration. The papers include: (1) "Language Policy for the 21st Century: Lessons from History" (Gyorgy Szepe); (2) "Lessons for Eastern Europe from Language Policy in Africa"…

A study investigated the changes in English and Spanish oral expression and comprehension skills of 18 male and 25 female Spanish-speaking Latino children attending a preschool that emphasized English language learning but supported maintenance of Spanish skills. For comparison purposes, the English skills of African American children (n=16 boys,…

The proceedings of a colloquium examining the status of French in Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) begin with an overview of the issues concerning the role of French in this multilingual, regional, cooperative union and a brief look at the future of French in the contemporary world. Discussions of the status of French in the six…

This paper explores the relationship between ethnolinguistic maintenance and regional economic development in the context of the regional planning policies of the minority language Gaeltacht areas. The Gaeltacht areas, where the Irish language (Gaeliz) is predominant over English, are primarily found in the extreme western portions of Northern and…

This study reveals the processes of language erosion and maintenance as they are affected by ethnicity and ethnic group interaction based on a 1976 survey of two communities in Wales, one largely anglicized and the other largely Welsh-speaking. Following a brief description of basic linguistic ability (speaking and reading) in the two communities,…